Light Strike Vehicle

The Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) is a light fast attack vehicle of the Singapore Army, derived from the American Flyer R-12D designed by HSMV Corporation and later held by Flyer Defense. The design was based on the chassis of the R-1 Rescue All Terrain Transport, using welded chrome-moly seamless tubing with long-travel progressive suspension, a rear-mounted water-cooled turbocharged diesel and a three-speed semi-automatic transmission.

Singapore placed an order for 29 Flyers with HSMV Corporation in May 1996, built under licence in Australia by Australian Defence Industries (ADI) and delivered in April 1998. They replaced Singapore Army jeeps armed with 106 mm recoilless guns. A second order for 50 vehicles followed in March 1998; in October 1998 ST Kinetics received a production licence and ADI manufacture ceased, with deliveries of the second batch beginning in May 2000. Indonesia ordered a larger quantity but received only five Australian-built vehicles, which went to Kopassus.

Armament fits included a forward 7.62 mm machine gun with a pedestal mount for a missile launcher or the 40AGL 40 mm automatic grenade launcher, and the STK 50 heavy machine gun. Singapore Army vehicles have been observed with a rear pedestal for two Spike anti-tank guided weapons and stowage for five missiles, with a combined 40 mm AGL and 7.62 mm machine gun mount supplemented by a pintle-mounted machine gun, and with the MILAN ATGW.

The Flyer was offered in 1995 as the ADI/Raceco-HSMV entry for the cancelled Australian Army "Mulgara" project. Flyer Defense produced the upgraded R-12D Flyer 1 in left-hand drive, three of which were delivered to Hellenic Army special forces in February 2003. A second-generation Flyer 21, also designated Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV-1), did not reach full production. ST Kinetics supplied prototypes to the United Arab Emirates in 2003 against a requirement for 60 to 90 vehicles. Rafael unveiled the Mantis attack vehicle prototype on the ITV-1 chassis at Eurosatory 2004; prototypes were used by the Israel Defense Forces in counter-smuggling operations on the Israel–Egypt border. DEFTECH of Malaysia partnered with Flyer Defense in 2004 to market the Advanced Light Strike Vehicle GEN II. India's Ordnance Factory Board built an ITV-1 prototype in 2008 for the Indian Army Light Support Vehicle requirement, which did not enter production. US special forces reportedly employed the Flyer in unspecified variants.

The Light Strike Vehicle Mark II, marketed by ST Kinetics as the Spider New Generation Light Strike Vehicle, entered service after a $68 million contract awarded in September 2011; deliveries ran from November 2013 to 2014. An earlier Spider prototype shown at Asian Aerospace 2004 did not enter production. The Mark II has a more powerful engine, revised suspension, a redesigned space frame with higher payload, greater seating capacity and expanded communications fits. The driver sits in a front centre position, permitting weapon mounts on both sides. It can be carried underslung by CH-47 Chinook helicopters or stacked for C-130 airlift. Three variants were produced: a 40 mm AGL version, a Spike ATGM version fitted with the Rafael Mantis system, and a utility version.